Winter color polymorphisms identify global hot spots for evolutionary rescue from climate change

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2018-02-15

Authors

Mills, L. Scott (Author) Other; Bragina, Eugenia V. (Author) Other; Kumar, Alexander V. (Author) Other; Zimova, Marqueta (Author) Other; Lafferty, Diana J. R. (Author) Other; Feltner, Jennifer (Author) Other; Davis, Brandon M. (Author) Other; Hacklander, Klaus (Author) Other; Alves, Paulo C. (Author) FCUP; Good, Jeffrey M. (Author) Other; Melo-Ferreira, José (Author) FCUP; Dietz, Andreas (Author) Other; Abramov, Alexei V. (Author) Other; Lopatina, Natalia (Author) Other; Fay, Kairsten (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Science

Vol. 359

Pages: 1033-1036

ISSN: 0036-8075

Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 76 Citations

Scopus - 76 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00N-PXV

DOI: 10.1126/science.aan8097

Abstract (EN): Maintenance of biodiversity in a rapidly changing climate will depend on the efficacy of evolutionary rescue, whereby population declines due to abrupt environmental change are reversed by shifts in genetically driven adaptive traits. However, a lack of traits known to be under direct selection by anthropogenic climate change has limited the incorporation of evolutionary processes into global conservation efforts. In 21 vertebrate species, some individuals undergo a seasonal color molt from summer brown to winter white as camouflage against snow, whereas other individuals remain brown. Seasonal snow duration is decreasing globally, and fitness is lower for winter white animals on snowless backgrounds. Based on 2713 georeferenced samples of known winter coat color-from eight species across trophic levels-we identify environmentally driven clinal gradients in winter coat color, including polymorphic zones where winter brown and white morphs co-occur. These polymorphic zones, underrepresented by existing global protected area networks, indicate hot spots for evolutionary rescue in a changing climate.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 4